Age-related memory loss can be scary, but it isn’t something to worry about. Dementia-related memory loss, however, could be a sign of impending dementia. The difference between the two is that age-related memory loss does not interfere with your daily abilities, whereas dementia-related memory loss does.
Dementia-related memory loss is persistent and leads to a decline in two or more intellectual abilities such as memory, language, judgment, or abstract reasoning. This significantly affects a person’s ability to perform daily tasks.
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Here are some early warning signs that signal dementia rather than age-related memory loss.
11 Early Signs of Dementia
- Forgetting how to get home
- Struggling to perform daily tasks such as writing checks, managing medications, or maintaining safety within the home
- Blanking on obvious words or struggling to understand the meaning of simple words
- Being easily confused
- Intense mood swings such as going from sweet and happy to angry or combative
- A lack of interest and enjoyment in previously enjoyable activities or things. A person may avoid once loved foods or stop engaging in activities they previously enjoyed
- Forgetting what you were about to do, like entering a room and forgetting why you went in
- Short-term memory problems such as forgetting what you just ate or forgetting a name you were just told
- Sensory changes such as a loss of smell or changes in taste
- Struggling with money or math
- Inability to complete a sentence
Although these are early warning signs of dementia, they could also be early signs of depression, which can increase one’s risk of dementia as well. In either case, it is critical that you seek out medical attention if any of these symptoms sound like you. Although there is no cure for dementia, early detection is still essential to help better manage the disease.
Also read:
- How dementia progresses: The 7 stages of dementia
- 10 everyday tips to boost your memory
- 25 Best foods to increase brainpower
Mohan Garikiparithi got his degree in medicine from Osmania University (University of Health Sciences). He practiced clinical medicine for over a decade before he shifted his focus to the field of health communications. During his active practice he served as the head of the Dept. of Microbiology in a diagnostic centre in India. On a three-year communications program in Germany, Mohan developed a keen interest in German Medicine (Homoeopathy), and other alternative systems of medicine. He now advocates treating different medical conditions without the use of traditional drugs. An ardent squash player, Mohan believes in the importance of fitness and wellness.
